Crudop Awarded $300K In Bias Suit

Former University of Missouri basketball player Jevon Crudop was awarded $300,000 by a Jackson County jury on Monday in a bias lawsuit. In 2003 he was fired from his position as the junior varsity basketball coach at Raytown South High School—where he was a star player—after a player secretly recorded a conversation with him. In that conversation Crudop swore at the player. There was also a taped conversation between Crudop and the parent of a player. Crudop was told by a school administrator that the confrontation with the parent was not Crudop’s fault. Crudop was later fired.

Crudop, who is black, contended that other white coaches, including legendary head coach Bud Lathrop, have sworn at players and received warnings and other punishments that were less harsh than being fired. The jury agreed and awarded Crudop $50,000 in actual damages and $250,000 in punitive damages.